I am on a college campus, feeling very lost. I can’t quite tell if I’m still the six-year-old I was when I crawled into bed for the night or if I’m far older. Could I have missed growing up? Do I belong in college now? Either way - I am sure I don’t belong in this college cafeteria.

I look around the room as big as gymnasium, filled with people. But there is something not quite right about them… something is off. It takes me a moment to realize what the problem is, and when I do – I want to run. My whole self needs to bolt out of any door I can find. The only problem is, my feet will not move an inch.

So I stand and stare - every single person in the room has the head of an animal!

I see a woman with the head of a cat, and there is a man with the head of a buffalo, I see a dog person, and even a turtle’s face. I see snake people and gorilla people, and animals I can’t even recognize.

I find myself looking at the back of a particularly fuzzy head; it has grey fur and rounded ears. But when he turns around - my feet can’t stop me, and I do run. I run as fast as I can. He has the head of a mouse, and the fear that courses through me gives me the jolt I need to get out of that place. But I have no idea why this mouse is so terrifying. I just know he is coming after me.

I run to the edge of campus, into the town. My breath is coming heavy as I reach a house and run through the front door. I lean against the door trying to catch my breath, but I can hear, or maybe feel the Mouse Man behind me. He is definitely after me. He is follows me through the strangers’ home as I run up the stairs. I know he is so close, just a few steps away and all I can do to escape is to crawl out of a second floor window and slide down the roof, falling hard onto the grass. At least I land on my feet

I hit the ground running. I am terrified and still wondering why this Mouse Man is chasing me. It doesn’t matter, I know he is trying to get me, and he is not a good man. He is everything I do not want to be.

As I am run into an open field a crowd of animal headed people grows around me. The only one who I am afraid of is the Mouse Man. I know that if he reaches me, if he touches me, my world will end. I don’t know if his touch will kill me, but I know if he does touch me, my life as I know it, as I want it to be, will be over.

The crowd parts, and I see him coming towards me, and the crowd is too thick. There is no escape; there is no way I can get away from him. So I turn to face him. I know there is only one thing I can do.

I reach out my hand to touch him, before he can touch me. I watch my hand reach out and touch his arm, and I see his mouse face fall away to reveal a human face I recognize, but can’t believe. The Mouse Man, my nightmare and my biggest fear has become my father.